Ambush!

"Em... Ma'am. My parents are waiting for me at home... So?" Advika ventured, a hopeful lilt in her voice.

"Nonsense." Amara's smile remained firm as she glanced at her wristwatch. "It's still 5 PM. You will go home, attend to whatever plans you have, and around 6:30, Katherine will pick you up. No arguments, you are having dinner with us." Her tone brooked no dissent.

Advika was taken aback, searching Katherine's face for an ally.

"Okay... We'll go with your plan, Mum." Katherine nodded agreeably.

'What the—?! Shouldn't you be on my side?!' Advika's internal protest warred with her outward composure. She turned back to Amara, a sigh escaping her lips.

'Looks like I don't have a choice.' With a resigned nod, she said, "Okay, Ma'am."

"Good! And stop calling me 'Ma'am'... 'Mum' will be fine." Amara's smile widened.

Katherine and Adonis exchanged exasperated glances, simultaneously facepalming.

'I didn't realize Mum was on a wife-hunting mission for my brother...' Adonis mused, before his eyes snapped wide with sudden apprehension. 'Wait a minute... what if she's also looking for a wife for me?!'

"Mr. Ethan."

Ethan and his companions turned towards a group of men approaching them, their expressions radiating obsequious charm.

"Mr. Ethan, please accept my business card."

"Mr. Ethan, we would be honored to explore potential collaborations in the near future."

"Nonsense, the Valhalla will be the ones to partner with us!"

Ethan raised a skeptical eyebrow at the flurry of proffered cards.

"Gentlemen, please," he interjected smoothly, "a moment of calm. Kindly direct your proposals to my secretary; he will manage all inquiries." He offered a polite, yet firm, smile. "As you can appreciate, I am rather fatigued and will be taking my leave."

A wave of surprise and thinly veiled awe rippled through the assembled businessmen and women as Ethan and Amara walked towards a gleaming white BMW parked a short distance away and settled inside.

"You are coming with us!" Katherine declared, seizing Advika's wrist and gently but firmly guiding her towards a sleek Lexus, followed by Adonis and Leyla.

The crowd of onlookers remained frozen in place as the two cars purred to life and glided away, trailed by a convoy of five other vehicles.

"It seems the balance of power in Cordelia is on the cusp of a significant shift," someone murmured into the hushed air.

___

[On the road.]

"Alright... time to acquire Grim's scythe." Christopher murmured, rubbing the ring on his finger. Instantly, fifteen streaks of luminescent energy shot out through the car windows, disappearing into the twilight.

"Lazarus... Use earth defense and stop those vehicles." He instructed, easing his foot off the accelerator.

"Ok."

A voice echoed from the ring.

A moment later, Lazarus materialized on the passenger seat. With a powerful downward thrust of its front claws, it slammed them onto the seat.

"You all know the drill," Christopher continued, his gaze intense. "The moment they're sealed off, we strike."

He brought the car to a complete stop.

"Time to gear up."

____

Gabi's fingers traced the intricate carvings on the late Supreme Tamer's ring adorning her hand, a small, confident smile playing on her lips.

'When the moment is opportune, I will unequivocally demonstrate to that arrogant Alex who truly holds the power.' She thought, her resolve hardening.

BANG!!!

The luxurious Rolls-Royce shuddered violently, throwing Gabi forward against her seatbelt.

"What in the blazes was that?!" she snapped at the driver, her composure momentarily shattered.

"My apologies, Madam! I... I believe I inadvertently struck something, perhaps a pothole." The driver stammered, his eyes wide with alarm.

Gabi sighed, a hint of annoyance lacing her tone. "Watch the road in the future. And speed up; I have a pressing engagement."

The driver nodded curtly, pressing down on the accelerator. The car surged forward, and in that very instant, a colossal, unyielding wall erupted from the ground directly in their path. Caught completely off guard, the driver's face contorted in sheer panic.

"LOOK OUT!!" Gabi shrieked, a tremor of genuine horror in her voice.

BANG!!!!

The Rolls-Royce collided with the formidable wall with a sickening crunch, the front end crumpling like paper.

VOOOM!!

"What the devil's name...?"

Gabi muttered, her head spinning. She turned to the driver, her breath catching in her throat. The man was slumped lifelessly in his seat, his body grotesquely compressed by the impact.

Suppressing a wave of nausea, Gabi focused on the imposing four-meter-tall wall that now blocked their path.

"This couldn't have simply materialized out of thin air," she stated, her mind racing.

With a forceful kick, she dislodged the mangled door and clambered out of the wreckage.

"Boss! Are you alright?!"

Four heavily built men emerged from the accompanying Audi, their hands instinctively reaching for the holstered pistols at their hips, while they rushed towards Gabi, their faces etched with concern.

"I am unharmed... but my driver is dead." Gabi replied, her gaze fixed on the inexplicable wall.

"Come now, whoever orchestrated this is undoubtedly nearby. We must retreat and reassess."

"Understood!"

The four bodyguards nodded in unison, their eyes scanning their surroundings with heightened vigilance.

The next moment:

BAM!!!

"...?!"

They whirled around, their eyes widening in disbelief as more identical walls shot up from the ground, encircling them with alarming speed. Within a mere ten seconds, they were completely enclosed.

_

"Hey?! What in God's name is happening?"

A drivers exclaimed, stepping out of his vehicle.

"Only a powerful beast tamer could conjure something like this," another driver added, his voice laced with unease.

"But... this is completely obstructing the road!" a third grumbled, frustration evident in his tone.

"Perhaps we can navigate around it, but what about the people trapped inside?" the fourth questioned, his brow furrowed with worry.

GRAAAA!!!

The drivers and all nearby pedestrians whipped their heads around, their blood running cold at the sight of ten ferocious Devil dogs charging towards them, their eyes glowing with malevolent intent.

"Ahhh!! Those are vile beasts!"

"Run for your lives!!"

"Someone contact the Tamers' Enterprise immediately!"

"How did wild beasts breach the city's perimeter?!"

ROOAAA!

Their attention was abruptly redirected to the front, where five skeletal wolves materialized, their crimson eyes burning with a terrifying bloodlust.

Seeing their canines, panic erupted. No one hesitated; they turned and fled in utter disarray, abandoning their vehicles without a second thought.

In mere seconds, pandemonium reigned. Screams echoed through the air as the fifteen nightmarish beasts descended upon the chaotic scene.

_

"Something is profoundly wrong. Why are people screaming outside?" one of Gabi's bodyguards murmured, his brow furrowed in confusion. He pressed his ear against the smooth, cold surface of the wall, his expression shifting to one of stark terror.

"Darkness beasts?" His eyes widened in disbelief and horror.

BAM!!

Gabi recoiled, clutching her ornate walking stick with a white-knuckled grip. The four bodyguards positioned themselves protectively in front of her, their pistols trained on the unyielding wall.

CLANG! CLANG!

The chilling sound of claws scraping against the stone echoed ominously. With each passing second, the men's heartbeats hammered against their ribs.

Whoosh!

A massive black dog, its eyes burning with predatory intelligence, effortlessly leaped over the towering wall and landed silently before them.

"This... a Devil Dog with a Combat Strength of Level 8?!" Gabi gasped, momentarily stunned.

"Fire!"

One of the bodyguards roared, and the four men unleashed a volley of gunfire at the menacing creature.

DIN! DIN! DIN!

The metallic clang of bullets impacting an impenetrable surface rang out as the projectiles harmlessly bounced off the wolf's thick hide, falling uselessly at its paws.

"This is not merely a beast with Level 8 Combat Strength... it's also a legendary stage entity!" Gabi exclaimed, her mind reeling, as she tightened her grip on her walking stick.

"Stay back... I will handle this."

A crimson aura enveloped the elegant cane, slowly dissipating to reveal a formidable two-meter-long scythe, its wickedly curved blade radiating a malevolent crimson glow.

"Stand down," she commanded her guards, her voice low and steady.

Before she could take a single step, a chorus of guttural growls echoed from above.

GRAAAAAAAAA....

Gabi and her four bodyguards instinctively raised their gazes to the top of the wall. Their blood ran cold at the sight that greeted them: nine more identical dogs stood on the wall, their piercing gazes fixed intently on Gabi.

'This... this is impossible. No single tamer can command so many high-level beasts. Ten is the absolute limit!' she thought in utter disbelief.

BAM!!

Gabi and the men slowly turned their heads, their eyes widening in sheer terror as five skeletal werewolves, their bony forms radiating an unnatural chill, landed silently behind them.

'What in the deepest pits of hell are these? Another beast with Level 8 Combat Strength?! And all fifteen of these abominations are legendary stage?! Who in this world wields such terrifying power?!' She thought, her mind reeling in disbelief and a growing sense of dread.

"Boss... We're completely surrounded," one of the guards whispered, his face pale with fear. "Perhaps... Perhaps we should consider surrendering."

"Surrender?" Gabi scoffed, a flicker of her usual defiance returning.

"You've served me for three years now. When have I ever yielded? My primary forces may be elsewhere, but I am far from defenseless!"

With a swift, powerful movement, she slammed the crimson scythe against the ground. An invisible wave of palpable killing intent pulsed outwards, washing over the assembled beasts.

"Come on, then!" she roared at the closest Devil Dog, which stood motionless, as if awaiting a silent command.

The next moment, the two beasts with Level 8 Combat Strength unleashed deafening howls that reverberated through the enclosed space. Simultaneously, all fifteen creatures lunged towards the five humans, their eyes burning with savage hunger.

'I cannot risk summoning my own beast; she would be slaughtered instantly... Why, oh why, did I not bring my personal tamer guards?! This is a catastrophic oversight!' Gabi's mind raced, her teeth gritted in fury and regret. She channeled her energy into the scythe, and her eyes blazed with an unnatural, bloodshot intensity.

With a surge of adrenaline-fueled power, she lunged towards the onrushing monstrous beasts.

"I won't die here!!" She roared.